PHOTOS: Police Have Turned A Labrador Into A Blood Hound

The dog, called Sylvia, has had 8 months of intensive training to develop the capability to detect the presence of human blood in various policing environments.

She is now able to locate .02 of a millilitre of blood as well as blood which is not visible within a crime scene and track people from a location through blood trailing.

Sylvia can also detect the presence of both oxygenated and cadaver blood within buildings, vehicles and various outdoor environments, including areas exposed to the elements.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Stuart Ayres, today introduced the first accredited blood detection dog team. He said the investigative value of this new dog team is immeasurable.

“The introduction of the Blood Detection Dog Team expands on the extraordinary capabilities of the NSW Police Dog Unit,” Scipione said.

“With the ability to potentially track people through blood trailing, the dog team will be able to provide swift assistance to help locate missing people or victims of crime who are injured.

“On the flip side, the same tracking skill can be used to help quickly locate offenders who could pose a risk to the community.

“In addition, the dog team can provide invaluable assistance to investigators and forensic police to locate important evidence at crime scenes, which may have previously been undetectable.”

The blood detection dog team is based in the Sydney Metropolitan area, but can be deployed anywhere in NSW.